Are you guys cooking with tahini yet? If not, I'm here to convince you of its many kitchen virtues. Tahini is made by grinding sesame seeds into a think paste. The color varies by brand from a white color to a deep, golden tan depending on whether the seeds were roasted prior to grinding. And because tahini is growing in popularity it's popping up in most grocery stores these days, usually located in the nut butter section.

Once you are the proud owner of a jar of tahini you'll need to give it a good stir, as the oil will have naturally separated to the top. Go ahead, get in there and stir away. Good. Now you have a smooth paste that you can use in countless ways. Tahini is a bit bitter by itself, but when smeared on toast and drizzled with honey it becomes magical. Mmmmmmm, tahini-honey toast. Beyond toast, tahini is the magical ingredient that makes hummus so rich and creamy. Plus it makes an amazing dairy-free dressing base. And a spoonful or two is amazing in smoothies. Convinced yet?

Another of my favorite ways to use tahini is in this amazingly easy sauce drizzled over noodles and topped with crisp green veggies. All you have to do is combine a few pantry staples together along with the tahini and you have a bowl-licking worthy sauce. This recipe is super-quick, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free (as long as you use gluten-free noodles and tamari). If you're serving someone who needs a little something extra, feel free to top the noodles with some grilled chicken or shrimp in addition to the veggies. Oh yeah, and you only need one pot for the entire recipe. Easy cleanup is always appreciated, right? Okay, now go grab a few simple ingredients and whip up these Quick Sesame Noodles with Green Veggies tonight. You'll be a tahini convert in no time.

Kid-friendly notes. This dinner includes many kid-friendly flavors. The garlic and ginger flavors are subtle in the sauce and it's not spicy, but if you have a resistant eater here are some suggestions:

Serve the noodles tossed with the tahini sauce, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate.

Serve the noodles, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate. Add the sauce on the side for dipping.

Offer the sesame seeds as "sprinkles," to be added by the child.

Add or substitute an additional preferred veggie such as carrots or raw bell pepper in place of the snap peas or broccoli.